


First Meeting

by Writerleft



Series: Comes Marching Home [6]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Day 1: First Meeting, F/F, Korrasami Month, Korrasami Month 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 21:25:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18902938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writerleft/pseuds/Writerleft
Summary: It's a new era for Future Industries... and Asami Sato. Only she has no idea how to begin it.Luckily, somebody she knows has a special talent for inaugurating new eras...





	First Meeting

Asami chewed her lip, reading the expense reports, adding the numbers up for the tenth time in the futile hope that the sum would be different. The city was at peace, the interim government was organizing elections, the stock market was reopened, and Asami had reassurances that nobody else in the company— _her_ company, now—was currently under investigation.

Everything was returning to normal—or settling into a new normal. 

Everything except her own life. 

Asami sighed, glancing out the window at the city sparkling in the night across the bay. She could’ve gone back to the mansion weeks ago, but every room in that sprawling estate held her father’s face, memories lingering, all of them leading to that moment when they fought, that impossible moment she realized her father, the only family she had, the most important person in her life for the past twelve years, was trying to _kill_ her. 

Instead, she had beaten him, captured him, turned him in. How could she move back home, when every room reminded her of _that_? 

“Burning the midnight oil?” a voice asked from outside her window. 

“Aaah!” Asami jolted, nearly falling out of her chair before her brain kicked in and recognized the voice. “Korra, what are you doing out there?” 

She stepped into the light, looking contrite. “Sorry. You’re so well lit in there, didn’t occur to me I’d be hard to see. I just got back from a late operation with Lin. We hit another Equalist cell, caught forty of them—that had to be the biggest cell left. Took a while to mop up.” She yawned, crossing her arms on the windowsill. “I’m surprised you’re still awake though.” 

Asami sighed. “I’ve got my first meeting with the executive board tomorrow—what’s left of them, at least. A quarter of them were arrested as Equalists, another quarter quit, and I’m genuinely not sure how many that are left I can depend on.” The company’s coffers were nearly empty, its reputation was bankrupt, and it was Asami Sato left holding the bill. I’ve met them all before, but it was always as the CEO’s daughter. Now, suddenly, I’m their boss?” 

“You’re nervous,” Korra said. 

She laughed. “Of course I am. Dad taught me some things, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around our operation—what assets we have on paper, what actually exists out there that I can actually use, how I can turn them into profits. So many of our records were falsified to funnel money into my father’s treasonous activities, so we have to audit _everything_ , and that’s not done yet…” 

“Anything I can do to help?” 

Asami shook her head. “Not unless you could float me a small, thirty million yuan loan.” 

“Thirty… I didn’t realize there _were_ that many yuans!” 

Asami laughed again, but this time, with actual mirth. The holes in Korra’s knowledge base were so unexpected sometimes. Most of the time, it was endearing. “The estate alone is worth ten. I’ve considered taking out a loan on it, or selling it outright, but that’s a short-term solution. I’ve gotta have a plan to get Future Industries profitable again.” 

“Again? All the bad guys are out. Why can’t you just replace them and run things like it was before?” 

This bit of naivety wasn’t as cute. “Because nobody wants to buy an Equalist car.” 

“That’s… people really think that way? Your dad did some bad stuff, but he’s out of the picture now. It’s not like the cars are going to go around running benders over. Heck, I know of at least one valiant Satomobile that gave its life to defeat the Equalists.” 

Asami was struck with conflicting emotions on that—something she was dealing with more and more, lately. Smashing that car into an Equalist mech had helped them save Tenzin, and it truly was a heroic end… but that custom roadster had deserved so much more than to be turned into a projectile. She’d rebuilt the engine herself, and now, it was gone. Just like everything else she’d cared about. 

“Most people can’t judge a product upfront,” Asami said. “They rely on reputation, how brands make them feel, how good a deal they think they’re getting. We still make a good product, yes, but people don’t like the idea their money is funding terrorists—and frankly, I don’t blame them. We’ve got to find a way to redeem ourselves in people’s eyes, and soon, or the company is going to fold within the next six to eight months.” 

Korra grimaced. “That does sound like a hard situation to step into. Do you have any ideas how to fix it?” 

Asami barely knew how business worked. She knew the concepts, she understood them academically, but she’d never been involved herself before. There’d been talk of putting her in charge of a division in a year or two, giving her on-the-job training with management and such, enough to dip her toe in. 

Instead, she’d been thrown into the middle of the ocean. Treading water took practice, but drowning you could do quite naturally.  

“I’ve got to reassure the board. At least convince them to give me a chance. But convincing them that an eighteen year old should run the company just because she suddenly owns it will be a hard sell.”

“Well… if you pull it off, it would prove you’ve got the business skills to make it work, right?” 

Asami found herself smiling. How did Korra manage that? “True enough, but that’s a bit circular. If I can convince them it would convince them… doesn’t really give me a starting point.” 

As quickly as Asami’s smile had come, Korra’s face grew serious. “Asami… have you considered maybe letting one of them run the place? You said yourself you don’t feel fully confident, and you’ve been through a lot. Nobody would blame you if you wanted to take a while to figure out… what you want to do with yourself, right? I mean, you had to have other plans for your life, before all this happened.” 

Part of Asami wanted to snap at her, to insist she could do this—but Asami knew that part was the one that was afraid she’d fail. She couldn’t let her insecurities drive her. 

But at the same time, why _was_ she so insistent she do this herself? 

“You’re not wrong,” Asami said, unable to look Korra in the eye, finding the octagonal window frame a much easier place to look. “I wanted to build things, invent things. Spend time in the garage or the workshop, not the board room. But… if I don’t try, I’ll never get another shot. Like I said, we’ve got six to eight months to turn the business around, maybe one of them can do it, but if they do, then… it’s not really my family’s company anymore. It’d be theirs.” 

Korra nodded. “And if you do try to run it yourself, and fail… at least it’s your own failure?” 

“I won’t have to live the rest of my life wondering if I could’ve saved it.” Was Asami’s voice always so quiet? “If I give my all, and fail, at least… at least then I’ll know.”

“You don’t want to be afraid.” Korra reached through the window, clasping Asami’s hand. “I get it.” 

Asami looked up, gave her a weak smile. “Do you think I’m being stupid?” 

“Stupid? You’re the smartest person I know!” 

“And my father is the smartest person _I_ know.” 

“You’re _not_ your father. You knew the Equalists were wrong. You outfought him _and_ outsmarted him.” 

If only it were that simple. “He’s the one who had the business sense to put this company together to begin with—if I’m not him, how can I hold it together?” 

“He’s _also_ the one whose bad decisions has put the company in this situation to begin with. If bad press is the problem, then you’re the perfect person to be in charge!” 

Asami blinked. “What… what do you mean?” 

“I mean, what’s a better way to prove Future Industries isn’t still secretly Equalist than having the woman who fought with the Avatar to beat them and captured her own darned dad in charge of it? Maybe people will doubt your business experience, but they can’t question you there!” 

She blinked again. She’d been so focused on how to convince the board to believe in her untested abilities in spite of her tarnished name, she’d never thought that her name might be an asset. “That’s… Spirits Korra, as much as I’ve been trying to avoid the press, the PR potential for that could turn the narrative around entirely. Enough to get the board on my side for a little while at least. Then, if I can just chalk up a few wins… I could be seen as all the Sato genius, none of the hate.” 

“Sounds like a sales pitch to me!” 

Korra’s enthusiasm was infectious—normally. But for some reason, having a plan for tomorrow’s meeting filled her with more apprehension than joy. Running a company like this was a massive job, even in good times. With this, she’d truly, _truly_ have committed herself to this course. And if it failed, and her company folded… what would she have left? 

Korra squeezed her hand. “What time is your meeting? Morning? Afternoon?” 

“Afternoon,” Asami said. Just enough time to get some materials ready. 

Korra nodded. “How about we meet up for dinner, afterward. Just you and me. You can tell me about it, you can vent, or we can just hang out, whatever you wind up needing.” 

“I… you’re sure you won’t be busy?” 

“I’ll make sure. Mako might’ve had plans, but we can reschedule. Whatever else happens with your company, you’ve always got a place with Team Avatar. The pay sucks but we get discounts at some great restaurants.” 

She chuckled. At least tomorrow gave her _something_ to look forward to. “I’d like that. I…” Asami stood, leaning out the window to wrap her arms around her. “Thanks, Korra. I’d like that a lot.” 

Korra returned the hug, patting Asami’s back. “Glad I can help. Just when I thought my job was one, one last day saved.” 

“My hero,” Asami chuckled, withdrawing from the embrace. “I should get to bed—we both should.” 

“Good idea,” Korra said, stepping back. “See you tomorrow.” 

“See you then.” 


End file.
